The Prisoner

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Steven and Erika are back for a quick “thank you” to all our listeners and to tell you a bit about our thoughts on “Arrival”, the first episode of the 2009 AMC miniseries. We also point you over to the First Class Lounge feed for Incomparable members, where you can hear even more!

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Fifty years ago Patrick McGoohan fascinated and confused us with “The Prisoner”, a 17-episode TV series about a man stripped of his name, given a number, and held captive in an idyllic village that doubles as a bizarre surveillance state. It’s allegorical and metaphorical and downright mind-bending, with a baffling conclusion that we’re still scratching our heads about today. What makes this show so great? How does it hold up so well to this day? And have you ever really looked at your hand? We want information, and by hook or by crook, we’ll get it.

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Steven and Erika go on for quite a while about this unique episode of a unique series. Welcome to the old west — a place Erika doesn’t generally like to find herself, but The Prisoner breaks all the rules!

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Erika and Steven discuss multiple theories about multiple number 2s. And Erika disagrees with received fan wisdom (to no one’s surprise). She also gets to use the word “oleaginous”, which is always a good time.

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Steven and Erika try (and largely fail) to make sense of “Dance of the Dead”, but we have many reasons why this episode should be earlier and later than “Many Happy Returns” (not to mention many other eps).

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Erika and Steven are pretty sure who they are, but not entirely sure how and why everything in this episode happens as it does. Ready for some headcanon? Because we have some to spare. Just like with number 6’s, two headcanons are better than one?

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Steven and Erika provide a PSA on the importance of checking your microphone input fully and thoroughly before recording. Just because you’re hearing your voices through headphones that are plugged into the mic, it doesn’t mean that mic is the one picking up the voices.

But we stayed on brand (lazy) and didn’t re-record — just switched to the proper mic as soon as the problem became apparent. It required slightly less laziness to piece those bits together and make them usable, but as fancy professional podcasters, this didn’t take a terribly unreasonable effort.

Please feel free to call an election for alternative podcast hosts if you’d like. We here In The Village are all about fostering democratic choice. Just be careful about whom you choose to run against us. Some candidates have ideas of their own and are distressingly hard to control.

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Erika and Steven finally talk about one of the most important aspects of the entire show: the font. Also, about the deep insight we get into the mind of our hero — without actually learning anything beyond how formidable an opponent he can be.

And Erika remembers her segment in which she determines the outfit she’d most like to cosplay from this episode. Lots of party dresses to choose from in this one, but her selection may surprise you. It sure did Steven!

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Steven and Erika are homesick (visitor-sick? tourist-sick?) for London. Though maybe not as much as our hero. But look where that gets him.

The controversy over the “proper” viewing order for The Prisoner are starting already. Erika has feelings about this episode’s placement and does not hold back. Do you know where it slotted in the Canadian run? You’ll plotz.

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Steven and Erika of Lazy Doctor Who fame(?) launch a new effort covering the colourful, psychadelic, trippy, wtf-is-happening spy-fi series that is 1967’s The Prisoner.

The world premiere of The Prisoner happened 50 years ago today — in Canada, of all places! Despite this bit of our national heritage, we’ll release our episodes 50 years after each one aired in the UK. So expect the first proper In The Village ep to cover “Arrival” on the 50th anniversary of its UK premiere: September 29.

Yes, we’ll be watching in the original UK airing order. Do you have a problem with that? Well, you’re not alone. Don’t worry. We’ll cover this additional odd aspect of an already odd show.

We hope you’ll join us and enjoy. If you don’t, then blame the Lazy Doctor Who listeners who asked for it. Be careful what you wish for!